Heart of a Warrior
by R. Lancaster
Summary: Teenage Jessie Wright is ready to be done with high school and go to college. The girl has always loved books, with the Warriors series holding a place in her heart... Suddenly, she dies in an accident (cliche, I know) and is reborn in the world of Warriors! To her great surprise, she has walked into a time directly after The Last Hope, and right into a new prophecy!
1. Chapter One - Disappointment

It was her senior year, and the last of her finals were ending. Jessie Wright was _so glad_ that classes were finally done. She had been stressed to no end... and to top it off, she hadn't heard back from her first choice college. All of her friends knew where they were going: Becky was going to Harvard, for crying out loud! A few of her friends were just going to a local community college – which was great and all, but Jessie desperately needed to hear back from Yale. She needed it like she needed oxygen. Well, maybe not _that_ much, but her entire future depended on it, and it would probably help get her parents off of her back for a while.

"How do you think you did?" Her father asked as the two of them walked to his faded gray sedan. Jessie held in her frustrations, hoping that perhaps a letter from Yale had come while she was taking the last test of the semester. She also wished that her dad wouldn't only care when it regarded her grades – lately it seemed like the only time he really talked to her! 

"I'm sure I did okay," the black-haired teen murmured as she sad in the passenger side seat.

"'Okay'?" He asked as he adjusted the mirror so he could see behind the car, and also look at his daughter. "Do you think 'okay' is good enough?"

"Yes, dad, 'okay' is good enough," she said with a sigh, and turned away from him to look out the window. She didn't feel like dealing with his bullshit right at that moment, and so pulled her Nook out of her bookbag. She would read until they reached home. Her dad was silent.

She swiped the screen with her fingers as she looked for something to read. She was fairly sure that she had read everything on here – many of the books several times – but maybe something would catch her eye.

She flew past Redwall – she wasn't feeling like reading about the forest creatures versus vermin today. The A Song of Ice and Fire series was tempting, but she knew that she shouldn't start reading those books again. They would just fill her with sadness, and she also didn't have time to read such a long book. She kept looking, deeper and deeper into her library. She landed on Tallstar's Revenge, and she stopped for a moment...

The Warriors books had been her favorite growing up, but lately she hadn't been feeling it much. The 17-year-old sighed thoughtfully, remembering days of reading about Firepaw and Graypaw, and later on Firestar and Graystripe! She had always thought that the first books were the best – the cats from the later books didn't have the same charm to her, and she thought that some of their names had become ridiculous. _Bumblestripe? Rosepetal?_ No thank you.

She had recently read Tallstar's Revenge, however, and didn't feel like re-reading it again so soon. She ended up just closing her Nook and replacing it in her bag – the rest of the trip home was spent in silence.

When the dingy car pulled into their long driveway, it took all of Jessie's willpower not to jump out and run inside to see if a letter had come from Yale yet. Instead, she trudged inside with her head held low, grunting at her father as her opened the door for her. A quick look to the kitchen table showed that the mail had come, and she perked up – perhaps it was here!

"Is my letter there?" Jessie asked her father, nearly bouncing with excitement. For a second, she thought she saw him crack a smile, but that would be out of character for him. He shrugged, and motioned towards the small pile of mail sitting on the granite counter tops. She leafed through the pile quickly, and tried her best not to show her disappointment when her letter was not there.

"Oh, wait, you mean _this _letter?" He taunted, waggling it above her head. Jessie gasped and snatched it from his hands. It was terrible of him to do that! She had been waiting _ages_ for this! She was going to go to Yale, and be the best lawyer there ever was!

It was thin. Thin was good, right? She stared pensively at the envelope, biting her lip slightly.

"Go on, Jessie, open it!" Her dad said, smiling from the doorway. She ran her thumb under the opening and the glue unstuck itself, and she hesitated. What if... she didn't get in? What would she do? She could go to community college like her friends, but Yale... Yale was her idea of a perfect future. Holding the envelope away from her body, she took in a deep breath.

She pulled the thin sheet of paper from inside of it, and read it slowly.

"_Dear Ms. Wright – The Yale Admissions Committee has completed its evaluation of this year's candidates, and I write with sincere regret to say that we are not able to offer you a place in the Class of 2015._"

Her heart jumped up to her throat and she thought she was going to throw up. Her dad beamed at her eagerly. "So, what's it say?" he asked, smiling.

"I didn't get in..." Jessie murmured, the tears starting to fall. She didn't know how to cope, and her dad didn't know how to comfort. Her dad looked almost as stricken as she felt, but he tried his best to make her feel a little better. He put his arms around his shoulder and gave her a light kiss on her forehead.

"It's alright, kid," he whispered as she cried, and rubbed her back lightly. "It's not so bad. You tried your best." That got a large wail out of his daughter, who was taking the news hard.

"It's gonna be okay..." he said louder, as if trying to enforce the words to himself.


	2. Chapter Two - The End of Jessie

**Author's Note: #Character Death (sort of)**

It had been a few weeks since Jessie got the letter that made her life crumple and fall around her. Life really hadn't changed that much, but in some ways, it was like living in a different world. "_Not going to Yale..." _the teen would think, growing more and more depressed as the days wore on. "_What's even the point?_"

"Heeey, kiddo," her dad said, appearing from the doorway to where Jessie sat on the front steps of the porch. "There's someone on the phone for you – Reilly, I think she said."

Jessie perked up slightly – Reilly was a friend of hers from school, one who had gotten into her first choice college of Harvard. Jessie was jealous, but she loved her friend and was very happy for her.

"Did she say what she wanted?" She asked, rising to her feet and brushing dirt from the seat of her pants. Her dad shrugged.

"She said to have you call her back," was all he said before walking back into the house. Her dad had seemed pretty distant lately, but maybe that was just Jessie projecting her emotions onto the people around her. She walked inside, ready to hear what her friend had to say.

"Hey, Jessie girl!" The eager voice chimed in Jessie's head before the first ring even finished. She murmured hello, and then let her friend continue. "What's been goin' on, where've you been?"

"I didn't get into Yale and I want to die," said Jessie bluntly. There was an awkward silence for a moment, until Jessie cleared her throat. "So, what's up?"

"Well, ah, y'know I got into Harvard. And I'm having a goin' away party, if you want to come!" Reilly said, showing the excitement in her voice. "It won't be a party without you, girl."

Jessie weighed her options. On one hand, she could skip out and stay home – but Reilly would be upset, and Jessie probably wouldn't see her for a long time. On the other hand, she could go... and maybe have some fun with her good friend. The choice was obvious.

"When is it?" Jessie asked, twirling the cord of the phone absentmindedly.

"There's the thing, Jess. It's kinda a last minute thing. Tonight," said Reilly, her voice carrying a trace of laughter in it, and Jessie couldn't help but smile. "Just be here 'round 7 if you're coming!"

Hanging up the phone, Jessie ran off to get ready – she had to shower, pick out an outfit, and prepare herself mentally for human interaction!

"Hold it – What are you doing?" her dad asked as she went past, a blur in a purple hooded sweatshirt. Jessie explained, and her father pursed his lips. "Will there be _boys_ there?" Jessie nodded – there would almost definitely be boys there, knowing Reilly. Her father paused and held eye contact with his daughter. "See ya later then, kid," he said with a smile, ruffling his daughter's hair. She needed this night, he thought.

- Later in the evening -

Jessie arrived at the party in her dad's beat up gray sedan, gave her father a quick peck on the forehead, and headed up the steps to her friend's party. She had chosen a very pretty black dress, with a silver clutch, to compliment her dark hair, and she felt attractive for the first time in a while – in fact, it was the first time she had really felt _anything _in a while. She had really been depressed there. This party was good for her...

"Jessie girl!" shrieked Reilly as she caught Jessie's eye. "You came!"

Jessie couldn't help but grin at her friend. "Yeah, I'm here!" Reilly's enthusiasm was contagious.

"Let me get a look at you!" she said, holding Jessie at an arms length. "You look fine tonight, baby! You should dress up like this more often!"

Jessie blushed at the compliment and looked at her friend's outfit. It was a deep red, form-fitting dress, which looked very nice with her darker skin tone. Reilly was that girl who looked nice in anything she chose to wear, be it trash or crown jewels... but more often, it was crown jewels. The girl's family was loaded. If Jessie was a more bitter person, she'd have thought that maybe daddy moneybags had paid off someone at Hardvard for his daughter's acceptance – but she was not a bitter person.

"You look great too!" said Jessie, sincerely. Reilly looked pleased. Then, she looked around for a second before swooping in to whisper in Jessie's ear.

"I'mma slip some pepper spray into your clutch – you're looking good, and there are some pretty piggish guys here," she murmured low, barely loud enough for Jessie to hear over the deep bass of the music playing. "If anyone gives you trouble, come and find me!"

Jessie nodded slowly. She doubted that anything would happen to her that night, but she was touched to see her friend looking out for her. And she was right – there really _were _some gross guys there that night. Boys with no boundaries leered at any girl that was scantily clad, and even some that were fully clothed.

"Anyways, go enjoy yourself, girly," cheered Reilly, pushing Jess into the crowd. Jessie bid her a quick farewell and went off to dance. Or, more likely, think about maybe dancing and then just hanging out in a corner somewhere. Maybe go score some punch and or cookies. She never was big on the party scene, but she was here to say goodbye to a good friend, and maybe to raise her own spirits.

A very tall teenager came up to her, absolutely reeking of some sort of cologne. It was overpowering, and Jessie resisted the urge to gag – that would be impolite! He wore a pinstriped suit and a fedora – yes, a fedora.

"M'lady," he said, bowing slightly and tipping his hat. He and Jessie made eye contact for several awkward seconds before he grinned. "Sorry, sorry, that was just a joke. I swear I'm not actually a neckbeard."

"What... are you doing?" Jessie asked, holding her clutch close to her body.

"This outfit? I'm just trying to pick up cute girls who think my meme pickup lines are funny," he said, shrugging. "How's it working?"

"Not at all," Jessie said with a laugh. The kid looked crestfallen for a moment, but then smirked.

"At least you're actually talking to me," he said. "Literally every other girl thought I was about to harass them or somethin' – that's why I told you it was a joke, I didn't want to get pepper sprayed."

Jessie saw him eyeballing her clutch. "Yeah, I saw her give it to you... Anyways, I'm Will." He cleared his throat. "As in, 'will you come dance with me'?"

Jessie laughed lightly, but shook her head. "I don't really want to dance, but thanks." Will looked a little bit sad, but he seemed okay. He seemed like a nice guy, really, but a little bit too eager for her tastes. "How about we get some punch and we can go sit on the stoop and talk?" She suggested.

"Sounds good to me – I'll go get the drinks, and I'll be right with you," he said before weaving his way through the crowd. Jessie _really_ hoped that the punch wasn't spiked.

It was cool outside for a change – being early summer, it was normally hotter than the Mojave. The night sky was heavy with clouds, and bats flitted overhead. Something smelled bad and made Jessie wrinkle her nose – who knew if someone had hit a skunk somewhere down the road, or if the masses inside had broken out the pot.

Jessie stood a few feet away from the steps to the house, because there were two very eager teenagers already sitting there, sucking on each others faces and reeking of alcohol. She shook her head. Knowing Reilly, she wouldn't have supplied booze for anyone here, and yet, it seemed like half of the attendees were drunk or working on it.

"Mrrow," the quiet mew of a cat caught Jessie's attention. Large, fluffy, and white, the cat looked a bit scruffy and dirty, but Jessie thought that she was beautiful nonetheless. She noticed that the cat held something wriggly and gray in its jaws... a kitten! "_How precious_," she thought.

As the mother cat prepared to cross the street, the kitten squirmed and kicked and fought. Jessie felt uneasy, as though she could sense something bad was about to happen. The mother dropped her kitten in the middle of the road – the kitten's rambunctiousness had won his freedom, even if just for a moment. With a mew, the mother cat scooped up her kitten again, but then hesitated.

Jessie knew what was coming – a dark red truck down the road, the engine roaring loudly and stinking of gasoline. As the vehicle approached, Jessie knew that she had to act quickly. She couldn't just let the cat and her baby get crushed! The cat stared death in the face, the headlights reflecting on her eyes that were as wide as saucers – a deer in headlights stare.

She could make it. She was fast. The truck was far enough away for her to run through and nudge the cat away.

She dashed in to shoo the cat, which came to its senses and ran off – but not before turning and swiping at Jessie's extended hand. The teen stifled a gasp as red blood trickled from the tiny wound and she saw the cat disappear into someone's back yard.

That was the last thing she could remember before the world truly collapsed around her. As her bones shattered and she heard a scream from the porch – oh god, Will? – she smelt and felt warm, wet blood.

"This is the end," she thought, and then everything went dark. Little did she know, that was just the beginning.


	3. Chapter Three - God's Library

**Author's Notes: Just so you know, Jessie has a brief conversation with God in this chapter. If that sort of thing bugs you, feel free to skip this chapter. You won't miss too much information / storyline. The real Warriors stuff starts next chapter.**

Everything hurt. Really – everything. Even things that Jessie didn't know she had. How many bones does the adult human have in their body? Too many, and Jessie was sure that nearly all of them were broken.

She let out a low moan and then stretched, her body making a popping sound. And suddenly, nothing hurt.

The dazed teen stood up slowly, an amazing feat for one who had just been pulverized by a truck. She blinked several times and then looked around, taking in her surroundings. She had no idea where she was.

She wasn't outside anymore, but that wasn't surprising. If she was as badly hurt as she thought she was, they would have moved her, right? Taken her to a hospital? It looked like... she was in a library.

Dazed and confused, she walked along the shelves of books that went on for several feet above her head. She wouldn't mind staying here forever, it was such a beautiful sight for the book lover – a real Beauty and the Beast style private library. She sighed. This was heaven to her.

As she exited the section she was in, she saw a man sitting in a plush red chair with a small stack of books next to him. He looked kind. His skin was darker than hers, a warm nut brown, and his hair was black with flecks of gray running through it. He looked to be an older gentleman, with bushy eyebrows. Jessie stared at him for a moment before he beckoned her to come over.

"Come forth, child," he said, waving a hand in her direction. "I mean no harm."

Jessie somehow knew that he meant what he had said. She could feel an immense sort of goodness coming from him. She stepped towards him, and he smiled.

"Welcome, Jessie Wright. Female, aged 17 years," said the man. Jessie could feel her mouth open in shock. "Yes, Jessie, I know you. And you know me, too."

"Sorry, but I don't think that I do. Who are you, and where am I? How do you know who I am?" Jessie asked, nervously fiddling with her clutch. She didn't realize until now, but she was still wearing her part dress. She suddenly felt self-conscious.

"Dear, I have many names and appearances. Right now I'm appearing as someone you would trust. I know who you are because a piece of me has been with you all along, ever since you were born," he said, his eyes searching Jessie's face. "As for where you are... do you really think that you could have survived that accident?"

Jessie thought she was going to pass out. She dropped her clutch and held on to a nearby table for balance. She had died. Oh, god, she was dead. She would never see her father again. She would never see Reilly again. She had just met him, but she felt herself wishing for the company of Will – if only she had just stayed on the porch and let the damned cat sort itself out.

"There, there, Jessie. It's going to be okay – after all, your life isn't quite done yet. I've got something planned for you," said the man who had revealed himself as God. "Unless you'd rather just move on to the resting place. Many old friends and family members await you there... but something tells me you've got some life in you yet, and you're not ready." God hesitated before pushing himself shakily to his feet. He stepped towards Jessie and put a wrinkled hand on her shoulder.

"Go forth and make your choice," he said, pointing to the shelves and shelves of books. "Once you decide, your future will claim you. Good luck, child."

Jessie swallowed hard and turned to ask him a question, but God had disappeared. She didn't know what to do.

Wandering around the library, she found a door. Through the door she could see a great bright light that emanated warmth. The sounds of children's laughter and sweet melodies reached her ears, and she guessed that was what God had meant by the "resting place". He was right, though. She wasn't ready.

Instead, she turned back to the books on the shelves, and decided to sort through them. She doubted that this was what God had meant by telling her to choose, but by her logic, if she was dead then she had all the time in the world to read whatever she wanted. Briefly, she wondered if new books would somehow make their way up here.

She saw plenty of books that were new to her, but she felt like reading something that she knew well, something that she had read before and was familiar with. This was all just so strange and terrifying, she half expected that she was in a weird dream and that she would wake up at any moment.

A well-worn copy of Mossflower sat on the shelf. She turned it down, considering that she had just read that again recently. Many other books caught her eyes, but none of them really seemed to call to her. Tailchaser's Song had always been a favorite of hers, but that was a pretty long read, and she wasn't really feeling it. The cover of Eon glinted in the fluorescent lights, and Jessie was tempted, but pushed it back into the shelf.

The Last Hope caught her attention and she pulled it from it's spot. The last book in that specific series, and one of Jessie's favorites, though she admitted that she didn't like many of the newer generation of cats, and many of her old favorites had died in this one. She would read it again for old time's sake – she would be able to read anything else she wanted later on, assuming she was here for however long she wanted to be.

Sitting in the red chair that God had been in only minutes before, Jessie opened the book.

A loud flash of light blinded her vision, and God's booming voice rang in her ears. "Your choice has been made. Good luck, child."

She passed out.


	4. Chapter 4 - Being a Cat

**Author's Note: The last chapter can absolutely skipped to this one, if you don't want to read that sort of thing. Sorry it's overdue, I've been quite busy and have come down with some sort of sickness. Yuck. **

Jessie could feel herself waking up, the hot early morning sun beating down on her body. Something felt different, but she couldn't quite place it. She glanced around, noticing that the grass was tall and the trees were gigantic.

"What is going on?" she wondered to herself aloud. Her voice sounded different to herself, she noted. More musical and chirpy than before. She looked down to her feet.

They were paws.

She screeched and jumped up, whirling around as though she were chasing her tail, trying to get a good look at herself. She could not see her whole body, but she gathered that she had mostly black fur with some white parts, too. Her paws were big and the pads were pink. She stopped whirling and wailed.

Birds flew overhead, cawing over her cries. "God, why?" she yowled, scratching up a patch of grass with her newly found claws.

Suddenly, a sound from behind her caught her attention. Her ears perked up, she turned to see what it was – the crackling of the grass and leaves sounded so much louder now that she was a cat. She did have to admit that being able to hear and smell better was pretty cool.

Three cats padded forth from the undergrowth: a cat with dark ginger fur, a long-haired white cat, and another with golden striped fur. The two warmer colored cats stepped forwards with their ears laid flat and their tails lashing, but the white one didn't seem too worried about the situation.

The ginger one spoke – not angrily, really, just suspicious, Jessie thought – "You're trespassing on ThunderClan land, kittypet."

_ThunderClan? Kittypet?_ _Oh boy..._ Jessie realized that she was in the world of Warrior cats. That must have been what had happened to her. There was no other explanation – unless she had dreamed the whole "got hit by a car and died" thing... but she didn't think she had.

"Can't you smell our borders?" asked the golden one, not impolitely. She noticed that he had relaxed quite a bit.

"S-sorry," she mewed, nervously. She wondered what part of the books she was in, or if she was in the future or past of ThunderClan. "I guess I didn't notice it." Sure, that made her seem a bit dumb, but definitely not menacing.

The white one scoffed and took a step back. "C'mon, Squirrelflight, Lionblaze. She obviously means no harm, and we've got ground to cover before sunhigh." The golden one, apparently Lionblaze, dipped his head in agreement.

"You're right I'm sure, Cloudtail," mewed Squirrelflight, closing her eyes as she spoke to the senior warrior. "I think we should take her to Bramblestar, though."

The white tom lashed his tail in annoyance – "Do you really think that will be necessary?" he asked ThunderClan's deputy, his voice quiet despite the hint of a growl. The ginger she-cat nodded.

"Bear with me, Cloudtail. I just have this feeling about her..." she mewed, padding away and gesturing to her clan-mates and Jessie with her tail. Cloudtail shot Jessie a look and then padded after her with Lionblaze in tow.

"Come on, kittypet, we haven't got all day," mewed the white warrior, glancing back at her and sounding bored with the whole ordeal. Jessie gulped hard and followed behind them, not wanting to know what would happen to her if she disobeyed them.

As she followed the trio, the human-made-cat began to look at the surrounding land. It seemed _very_ familiar to her, though she realized that that was because she had read the books so many times... almost religiously. She had dreamed again and again of what it would be like to live with the cats of ThunderClan and be the best warrior she could be. Now that her dream was a reality, it didn't seem so great to her.

Getting closer and closer to the camp, Jessie realized she _could_ smell the ThunderClan scent. It was everywhere, and very overwhelming to her untrained nose. The smell itself was hard to describe – a mix of musky and earthy tones with something else... The forest? She didn't know, but it didn't really matter that much.

"I'm surprised you're keeping up so well," mewed Lionblaze, a foxlength ahead of her. "We're nearly to camp – don't worry, Bramblestar won't hurt you." He then picked up the pace and Jessie was finding it hard to follow. Even as a human, she wasn't used to running like this. She had never been the type to be very athletic Her paw pads were sore and her breathing heavy.

Then, she saw it: the thorny entrance to the clan camp. She let herself sigh slightly in relief as she came up to it, the three cats escorting her pausing outside of the tunnel.

"You go in first, kittypet. No funny business," growled Cloudtail, his fluffy pelt prickling. Jessie didn't understand that – Cloudtail had been a kittypet when he first came here! What was his problem? He wasn't even the clan deputy; that was Squirrelflight! If anything, _she _should be bossing her around. She listened to his instructions, though, and squeezed through the brambles as quickly as she could, feeling one or two snag on her black-and-white pelt. She could feel Cloudtail, Squirrelflight, and Lionblaze close behind her.

"Intruder!" cried a cat who was right by the entrance, who had apparently been sharing tongues with another. The cat was sleek with glossy reddish fur, and nearby his was a slightly smaller cat with fluffy white fur. The white cat hissed. As the red cat went to charge at her, Cloudtail came through the opening, and with a hiss of his own, ran in front of Jessie to stop him.

"Foxleap, you mousebrain, she's with us," growled the white tom, his pelt fluffed up even more than before, making him a fearsome sight to behold! Squirrelflight and Lionblaze came out from the tunnel quickly, padding forward to help. The clan deputy laid her tail on Cloudtail's haunches. "Relax, Cloudtail, he had no way of knowing, and no harm was done."

Foxleap looked ashamed for a moment, and then brightened up. "Is she a kittypet? Or maybe a rogue?" He asked, peering into Jessie's eyes for a moment. "Nah, not a rogue, she looks too soft for that. What do you think, Icecloud?" He glanced at the white cat he was sharing tongues with, his sister.

"I think you should leave her alone and let them take her to see Bramblestar," mewed the pretty she-cat good-naturedly. Squirrelflight nodded in Icecloud's direction, and then turned her attention to Jessie.

"Come on, Bramblestar's den is this way," she mewed. "What did you say your named was?"

"You never asked," Jessie mewed quietly. "My name is Jessie." Squirrelflight gave her a look with narrowed eyes. "Weird name, must be a twoleg thing," the ginger she-cat mused, her tail lashing slightly.

They entered the little cave where Bramblestar made his den, only to see the large dark tabby resting in a pile of moss and soft leaves. Jessie could feel Squirrelflight repress a sigh, and she idly wondered to herself what the situation was with the two of them – was Squirrelflight _just_ ThunderClan's deputy, or was there something more between them?

"Bramblestar, wake up, mousebrain," she purred, nudging the leader with her nose. The muscular tom rose to his feet and stretched.

"This is Jessie; she's a kittypet. My patrol found her across our border. I thought you might like to see her," Squirrelflight meowed. Bramblestar yawned.

"Thank you, Squirrelflight. But if she wasn't causing any trouble or hunting on our territory, I don't see what the problem here is. Shouldn't you have just chased her off and been done with it?" The tom spoke quietly, but his voice was strong and deep. Jessie gulped hard, her whiskers twitching nervously.

"I just... got a feeling about her," said Squirrelflight. She turned to Jessie and said, "Would you mind stepping outside the den? I'd like to talk to him alone for a heartbeat." She obliged, exiting and standing outside the entrance, trying not to eavesdrop.

All around her cats were moving around in the heat of sunhigh; sharing tongues and prey, kits and apprentices goofing off and going about their duties. A long-haired cream-colored cat poked out from the nursery and then retreated with a hiss.

"Who are you?" A mew came from beside her. A light ginger she-cat stood nearby, just a bit bigger than Jessie herself. "Are you going to join the clan?"

"I'm Jessie. I'm... a kittypet," she replied, the pseudo-lie weighing heavily on her tongue. "I don't know, I think your leader and deputy are discussing me right now..."

The little she-cat looked from her to the den and back. "Well, I hope you do join! You seem cool! I'm Cherrypaw, by the way!" Just as Jessie was about to answer her, a yowl came from across the clearing.

"Cherrypaw, we've got battle training to do."

"Sorry, I've got to go – that's Foxleap, he's my mentor," apologized Cherrypaw as she bounded off to butt the tom's shoulder. Jessie couldn't help but purr at the sight of them – the eager warrior and apprentice made a nice pair, she thought.

Squirrelflight poked her head out from Bramblestar's den. Her eyes were sparkling and she certainly seemed happier than she had a moment ago. She must have gotten her way, Jessie realized. "Okay, could you come back in here now?"

Bramblestar was sitting up now, and Jessie was amazed with how strong he looked. Underneath his glossy tabby pelt, his muscles rippled and she knew that any cat would be _crazy_ to challenge him.

"Hi, Jessie," he mewed, her name sounding strange coming from him. "Squirrelflight tells me that she thinks you would be a great member of our clan." He shot a look at Squirrelflight, who didn't acknowledge it. Jessie's pelt grew hot. "And from the looks of you, you're still very young – you couldn't be more than 7 or 8 moons, I think."

He was silent for a moment, and Jessie realized that he was waiting for a response. Sure, she would love to join the clan, but what if she wasn't good enough? The life of a warrior was a hard one, she knew that much from the stories she had read. "Erm, thank you, Bramblestar... Squirrelflight. But I'm not sure if this is the place for me..." she trailed off. Bramblestar was staring her down. "I don't know if the other cats here would accept me."

"Firestar – that is, the leader who came before me – occasionally let kittypets and rogues join the clan. Sure, a few cats may yowl and complain, but they would come to respect and trust you with time," he mewed. "You met Cloudtail, yes? He was a kittypet, though you wouldn't know it now. Firestar himself was actually a kittypet as well!"

"Living in a clan isn't glamorous, for sure, but you'll have more freedom than any kittypet could ever dream of," added Squirrelflight, and Bramblestar nodded.

"So, Jessie, what do you say? If your answer is no, I will have a patrol escort you to the border and you can make your way to your twolegs. If you wish to join ThunderClan though, you will be made an apprentice and begin your training!" Bramblestar made it sound like being a clan cat was the greatest thing in the world – and to him, perhaps it was. Jessie knew what her decision would be.

She dipped her head to her new leader. "In that case, I would love to join ThunderClan."

Bramblestar and Squirrelflight shared a glance, and the leader rose to his paws. "I'll have to call a clan meeting, then!" He started to pad out from his den, then turned around and smiled at her. "Welcome to ThunderClan."


	5. (Updated ThunderClan Allegiances)

**ThunderClan**

**Leader:** Bramblestar – dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Deputy:** Squirrelflight – dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentice, Badgerpaw**

**Medicine Cat:** Leafpool – light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Apprentice, Jayfeather (gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes)**

**Warriors:** (toms and she-cats without kits)

Brackenfur – golden brown tabby tom (father to Lilykit, a dark tabby she-cat with white patches, and Seedkit, a very pale ginger she-cat) (The kits are around 6 moons and should be apprenticed soon.)

Cloudtail – long-haired white tom with blue eyes

Millie – striped gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Thornclaw – golden brown tabby tom

Spiderleg – black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

Birchfall – light brown tabby tom

Whitewing – white she-cat with green eyes

Berrynose – cream-colored tom

Hazeltail – small gray-and-white she-cat

Mousewhisker – gray-and-white tom

Poppyfrost – tortoiseshell she-cat

Cinderheart – gray tabby she-cat

**Lionblaze – golden tabby tom with amber eyes**

Foxleap – reddish tabby tom

**Apprentice, Cherrypaw**

Icecloud – white she-cat

Toadstep – black-and-white tom

Rosepetal – dark cream she-cat

**Apprentice, Molepaw**

Briarlight – dark brown she-cat

Blossomfall – tortoiseshell and white she-cat

Bumblestripe – very pale gray tom with black stripes

**Dovewing – pale gray she-cat with blue eyes**

Ivypool – silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes

**Apprentices:** (more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

Cherrypaw – ginger she-cat (about 15 moons)

Molepaw – brown-and-cream tom (about 15 moons)

Badgerpaw – medium-haired black-and-white she-cat (about 8 moons)

**Queens:** (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

Daisy – cream long-furred cat from the horseplace

Brightheart – white she-cat with ginger patches (mother to Snowkit, a white tom with amber eyes, Amberkit, a gray she-cat with white paws, a white muzzle, a white right ear, and amber eyes, and Dewkit, a gray tom with amber eyes) (The kits are only 2 moons old, so have a while to go!)

**Elders: **(former warriors and queens, now retired)

Purdy – plump tabby former loner with a gray muzzle

Graystripe – long-haired gray tom

Dustpelt – dark brown tabby tom

Sandstorm – pale ginger she-cat with green eyes


End file.
